A meeting was held recently at the Middleton Town Hall to evaluate the Avery Murals, as part of the restoration and preservation work planned by the Middleton Heritage Commission. At the meeting were, from left, Alexander Carlisle, Supervising Conservator of Historic New England, Maggie Stier, NH Field Service Representative for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Jennifer Mass, Senior Scientist at the Winterthur Museum in Winterthur, DE, Tony Castro, restoration artisan, Cheryl Kimball, member of the Middleton Heritage Commission, Dexter Castro, Tony Castro’s son, and Stephen Bedard, owner of Bedard Preservation and Restoration in Gilmanton. (Photo courtesy of Maggie Stier)

MIDDLETON — On Monday, July 21, an illustrious group of experts convened at the Town Hall to continue the plans for the restoration and preservation of this historic structure. Some of you may remember that ‘way back in 2011, the Town Hall was considered and eventually accepted to be included in the Seven to Save list, a step which paved the way for obtaining project funding.

The recent meeting centered on having Jennifer Mass, Senior Scientist at the Winterthur Museum in Winterthur, Del., evaluate the Avery Murals in the upstairs meetinghouse. Ms. Mass holds a Ph.D. in chemistry, a vital science in determining the condition of the murals, the underlying surfaces, and what must be done to protect and restore any damaged portions. Cheryl Kimball, as chair of the Heritage Commission hosted the meeting. Also present were Alexander Carlisle, Maggie Stier, Tony and Dexter Castro, and Stephen Bedard.

Mr. Carlisle represented Historic New England, formerly the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities founded by William Sumner Appleton in 1910. Part of their mission statement is “to keep history alive and to help people develop a deeper understanding and enjoyment of New England life and appreciation for its preservation.” Maggie Stier is the NH Field Service Representative of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization dedicated to saving America’s historic places. The Field Service Program is offered by the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance in association with the National Trust and has provided guidance to the project, named the Old Town Hall to the Seven to Save list, and provided a matching grant for a complete assessment of the building to guide the overall project.

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Joan Coskie

Tony Castro of Tony Castro and Company in Gloucester, Maine, is a specialist with 25 years of experience in restoring works of art. His website reveals an impressive array of work he has done, particularly on murals. Stephen Bedard, hired to do the renovation work, also brings a wealth of expertise to the endeavor. To paraphrase from his website: the importance of antique structures to a community cannot be understated. And while these structures may have stood the test of time, there is often a need to bring them into modern times while maintaining their historical integrity. Thus stated, this is obviously what his company excels in.

Ms. Mass spent several hours conducting paint and plaster analysis of the 1841 murals, using a special spectrometer to download chemical composition of the paint. She determined John Avery’s use of mineral or protein based paint. Further laboratory analysis will be done on the pinhead sized samples she took. These findings will be critical in determining the best approach for Tony Castro to stabilize the paintings before structural work scheduled to begin in the spring of 2015.

Some questions have been posed regarding how work on the Town Hall will affect various activities and events traditionally held there. The Heritage Commission and those involved in the project have agreed that every effort will be made to eliminate or minimize any disruption to the use of the Town Hall. One of the most significant events coming up is Old Home Day on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

School news

No further news is available as yet, but one more column will be available to give any available details on the tour of the Marlborough school on Sat., Aug. 9. The school will be open at 10 a.m. for Middleton officials and residents to view a representative construction by Marinace Architects. As it is some distance away, carpooling is sure to be something to consider.

Social news

Aug. 2 will mark the 50th wedding anniversary for Neil and Linda Turner. Wow! Congratulations, and wishing you many more happy years together.

Reflections

Why does a dog get irritated when you blow in his face, then stick his head out the window when you take him for a ride in the car?